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CATHOLIC church insiders say that Edward Cardinal Egan is under intense pressure to tear up the resignation of Bishop James McCarthy and lift the suspension of Monsignor Charles Kavanagh, both protégés of his late predecessor, John Cardinal O’Connor.

Many powerful members of the New York laity ae involved in a now-forming ad hoc committee to plead the cases of these two popular prelates with Egan.

The cardinal, so far, is resisting. He is (at least in comparison to O’Connor) a remote and by-the-book man and is said to feel that he doesn’t need O’Connor’s liberal supporters ganging up on him.

But the argument that he acted too hastily in demanding McCarthy’s resignation last month and in suspending Kavanagh seems to have some merit. Their supporters are preparing petitions to both Egan and the Papal Nuncio in Washington, D.C.

The accusations against McCarthy and Kavanagh probably would never have been made if not for the current hysteria in the church over scandalous priestly sexual misdemeanors. McCarthy admits he had an inappropriate relationship with a woman when he was quite new to the priesthood. He was counseled and straightened out by now-Archbishop Edwin O’Brien and became one of the best loved figures in the church. Kavanagh, for his part, totally denies any misconduct with a young seminarian and family friend who has now emerged years later and accused him of unspecified misconduct.

The support for the two priests is widespread – ranging from fellow members of the legendary Winged Foot Country Club to O’Connor’s niece Eileen Ward Christian, who told Gannett’s Journal News the other day that “compassion should be extended” in these cases.

Egan believes he’s done the right thing, but he seems out of depth with the more liberal elements in his new diocese. He seems to have few confidantes in the city. They say the only person he really talks to is Monsignor Kevin Wallin, an old friend from his Bridgeport days and a man with no connection whatsoever to O’Connor.

Fair exchange

FORMER NYPD top cop Bill Bratton yesterday e-mailed and FedExed his formal application for the L.A. police commissioner job. If he gets the post, Bratton tells me the only stipulation is that he has to buy his wife Rikki Kleiman, of Court TV fame, a convertible Thunderbird. “It would be quite a challenge,” Bratton says. “I think I know what I’m getting into – I grew up on ‘Dragnet’ and I’ve read every book Joe Wambaugh ever wrote.”

All in the family

THE movie that Edwardo Ponti has long been preparing for his mother Sophia Loren will get its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September. “Between Strangers” has an ensemble cast including Gerard Depardieu, Mira Sorvino and Malcolm McDowell backing Sophia. The story features three women facing emotional challenges in Toronto, a place where everyone is emotionally challenged.

Lost in reverie

HAVING the Red Sox back in town for the latest battle in their long-losing war with the Yankees brings memories flooding back for Rock Positano, Joe DiMaggio’s foot doctor and closest friend. Like the story Joe told him of the time the Yankee Clipper was actually traded to Boston for his archrival Ted Williams.

According to Joe, in 1948, Yankees owner Dan Topping (who was married to Lana Turner at the time) and Red Sox counterpart Tom Yawkey, after months of secret negotiations, went on a heavy drinking bout and shook hands on trading their two superstars. The idea was that Yankee Stadium was the perfect bullpen for Williams, who pulled everything to right field, and that Fenway was ideally suited to DiMaggio, who got most of his homers to the left.

Joe told Rock that when the owners sobered up they realized they couldn’t go through with the deal (Boston still hadn’t got over the Babe Ruth trade). Both DiMaggio and Williams were relieved because they were happy in their respective cities. “But I always wondered what would have happened if we’d switched,” Joe said. “Probably 200 more career home runs for each of us.”

Free agent

IF the rumors from Hollywood are true, Jennifer Lopez isn’t long on loyalty. I’m told she has just switched agents, from ICM to CAA. J.Lo would seem to owe ICM everything for taking her from being a so-so singer to a multi-threat entertainment powerhouse. But that’s showbiz – what have you done for me lately?

Moving right up

WHILE most of the attention is focused on the fund-raising activities of our gubernatorial candidates, there’s a strange little phenomenon going on with state Sen. Michael Balboni from Long Island. Balboni has been raising about $100,000 a month of late – at a time when far better-known candidates are finding it hard to hit up the usual suspects. Republican Balboni has no serious opponent for re-election and is relatively unknown out of his district. But he seems bound for bigger things and sounds a lot like a state senator from Peekskill in 1994, none other than George Pataki.

What accent?

FORMER high school teacher Frank McCourt has come a long way. To his Pulitzer Prize-winning writing career, Frank can now add the credit of being dialect coach to Paul Newman. The other night Frank told Webster Hall curator Baird Jones how it happened. “I was flattered when Paul asked me to his house to help him with his Irish accent for ‘The Road to Perdition.’ I read the script out loud to give Paul a hint of my accent. He picked it up perfectly, and if a professional linguist analyzed his accent in the movie he would say the Newman character had left Limerick around 50 years ago, which is exactly what Paul wanted and is my own personal history.”

What a racket

OLD Brat John McEnroe will be on the courts at Amagansett tomorrow playing for kid brother Patrick’s N.Y. Hamptons Team Tennis in the World Team Tennis Tournament. Between sets John will be flinging pens instead of rackets as he signs copies of his autobiography, “You Cannot be Serious.” Among those expected at the tournament are “The View’s” Joy Behar, soap star Susan Lucci, shock-jock Howard Stern, Marci Klein and “SNL’s” Lorne Michaels.